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Ahead of the 2025 season, the NFL finally decided it was time to give its offensive linemen some love.
After some urging from long-time Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins, the league created the Protector of the Year award specifically to honor its best offensive linemen.
The NFL handed out its first Protector of the Year award as part of its NFL Honors celebration for 2025. Chicago Bears left guard Joe Thuney – a perennial All-Pro and four-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs – won the inaugural edition of the award after helping the Bears to an NFC North title.
Thuney will attempt to maintain his status as the award's lone winner in 2026. That said, he will face plenty of competition from an ever-crowded field that features plenty of stud blockers from around the NFL.
Who are the top candidates to take home the league's most prestigious blocking award? Here's a breakdown of the top offensive linemen who could win the award in 2026.
Sewell was a finalist for the Protector of the Year award in 2025 after putting together an All-Pro season at right tackle. Now, he will be shifting over to the left side to help replace Taylor Decker and keep Jared Goff's blind side clean.
Sewell only allowed two sacks last season and committed just two penalties while grading as Pro Football Focus' No. 1 overall tackle. The 25-year-old is arguably the league's best tackle and should draw consideration for the award, especially if Detroit enjoys a bounce-back 2026 campaign.
Williams is coming off another stellar season for the 49ers. The future Hall of Famer was one of three tackles who ranked both top-10 in ESPN's run block win rate and top-20 in its pass block win rate last season along with Warren McClendon Jr. and Brian O'Neill.
Williams is entering his age-37 season and is running out of time to win the award. If he has another quality season after grading No. 3 overall among tackles, per PFF, that could be enough to earn the four-time All-Pro what would effectively mark a lifetime achievement award.
The Broncos sported one of the NFL's best offensive lines last season and rode it to the AFC's No. 1 seed. Bolles played a massive role in that, as he didn't allow a single sack while grading as PFF's top pass-blocking offensive tackle (and ninth in ESPN's pass block win rate metric).
Bolles' pass-blocking prowess was enough to earn him a nomination as a finalist for the inaugural Protector of the Year award. Another no-sack season would surely put him in the mix for the award again.
Bolles wasn't the only Broncos lineman to earn recognition last season. Meinerz was also a finalist after he graded as PFF's top guard and its best interior run blocker. The uber-athletic guard is an iron man – he hasn't missed a game since 2022 – and has earned back-to-back All-Pro first team nods.
Linderbaum is another AFC West lineman who is among the best in the league at his position. The 26-year-old signed a record-breaking contract with the Raiders in free agency and is expected to play a major part in upgrading a Las Vegas offensive line that was woeful last season.
Linderbaum is coming off a season during which he finished fourth in pass block win rate, per ESPN. Similar results protecting veteran Kirk Cousins or rookie Fernando Mendoza could help the Iowa product add to his list of career accolades, which includes three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.
Humphrey has played five NFL seasons to date. In four of those, he has graded as Pro Football Focus' top overall center. He was a finalist for the Protector of the Year award in 2025 and could easily win the award in 2026, especially if he can keep Patrick Mahomes clean after his ACL tear and help lead the Chiefs to a bounce-back season.
Brewer allowed just one sack last season and graded as Pro Football Focus' top run-blocking center. His continued ascension has put him into the ranks of the NFL's top centers and he could be in for an even better 2026 campaign if rookie first-round pick Kadyn Proctor can provide him some needed assistance along the interior line.
Lindstrom has long been one of the best guards in the NFL, grading as a top-two talent at the position in each of the last four seasons, per Pro Football Focus. The 29-year-old has only allowed multiple sacks in three of his seven NFL seasons and has missed just two games over the last six seasons.
If Lindstrom can protect Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa well in 2026, he should draw finalist consideration for a second consecutive season.
Zabel was a revelation during his rookie season, providing a stabilizing force on what had previously been a problematic Seattle offensive line. The 2025 first-round pick graded No. 1 overall among interior linemen in ESPN's run block win rate and allowed just two sacks last season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking NFL's top Protector of the Year candidates for 2026 season
Continue reading...
After some urging from long-time Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins, the league created the Protector of the Year award specifically to honor its best offensive linemen.
The NFL handed out its first Protector of the Year award as part of its NFL Honors celebration for 2025. Chicago Bears left guard Joe Thuney – a perennial All-Pro and four-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs – won the inaugural edition of the award after helping the Bears to an NFC North title.
Thuney will attempt to maintain his status as the award's lone winner in 2026. That said, he will face plenty of competition from an ever-crowded field that features plenty of stud blockers from around the NFL.
Who are the top candidates to take home the league's most prestigious blocking award? Here's a breakdown of the top offensive linemen who could win the award in 2026.
NFL Protector of the Year top candidates for 2026
Penei Sewell
- Position: Left tackle
- Team: Detroit Lions
Sewell was a finalist for the Protector of the Year award in 2025 after putting together an All-Pro season at right tackle. Now, he will be shifting over to the left side to help replace Taylor Decker and keep Jared Goff's blind side clean.
Sewell only allowed two sacks last season and committed just two penalties while grading as Pro Football Focus' No. 1 overall tackle. The 25-year-old is arguably the league's best tackle and should draw consideration for the award, especially if Detroit enjoys a bounce-back 2026 campaign.
Trent Williams
- Position: Left tackle
- Team: San Francisco 49ers
Williams is coming off another stellar season for the 49ers. The future Hall of Famer was one of three tackles who ranked both top-10 in ESPN's run block win rate and top-20 in its pass block win rate last season along with Warren McClendon Jr. and Brian O'Neill.
Williams is entering his age-37 season and is running out of time to win the award. If he has another quality season after grading No. 3 overall among tackles, per PFF, that could be enough to earn the four-time All-Pro what would effectively mark a lifetime achievement award.
Garett Bolles
- Position: Left tackle
- Team: Denver Broncos
The Broncos sported one of the NFL's best offensive lines last season and rode it to the AFC's No. 1 seed. Bolles played a massive role in that, as he didn't allow a single sack while grading as PFF's top pass-blocking offensive tackle (and ninth in ESPN's pass block win rate metric).
Bolles' pass-blocking prowess was enough to earn him a nomination as a finalist for the inaugural Protector of the Year award. Another no-sack season would surely put him in the mix for the award again.
Quinn Meinerz
- Position: Right guard
- Team: Denver Broncos
Bolles wasn't the only Broncos lineman to earn recognition last season. Meinerz was also a finalist after he graded as PFF's top guard and its best interior run blocker. The uber-athletic guard is an iron man – he hasn't missed a game since 2022 – and has earned back-to-back All-Pro first team nods.
Tyler Linderbaum
- Position: Center
- Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Linderbaum is another AFC West lineman who is among the best in the league at his position. The 26-year-old signed a record-breaking contract with the Raiders in free agency and is expected to play a major part in upgrading a Las Vegas offensive line that was woeful last season.
Linderbaum is coming off a season during which he finished fourth in pass block win rate, per ESPN. Similar results protecting veteran Kirk Cousins or rookie Fernando Mendoza could help the Iowa product add to his list of career accolades, which includes three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.
Creed Humphrey
- Position: Center
- Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Humphrey has played five NFL seasons to date. In four of those, he has graded as Pro Football Focus' top overall center. He was a finalist for the Protector of the Year award in 2025 and could easily win the award in 2026, especially if he can keep Patrick Mahomes clean after his ACL tear and help lead the Chiefs to a bounce-back season.
Aaron Brewer
- Position: Center
- Team: Miami Dolphins
Brewer allowed just one sack last season and graded as Pro Football Focus' top run-blocking center. His continued ascension has put him into the ranks of the NFL's top centers and he could be in for an even better 2026 campaign if rookie first-round pick Kadyn Proctor can provide him some needed assistance along the interior line.
Chris Lindstrom
- Position: Right guard
- Team: Atlanta Falcons
Lindstrom has long been one of the best guards in the NFL, grading as a top-two talent at the position in each of the last four seasons, per Pro Football Focus. The 29-year-old has only allowed multiple sacks in three of his seven NFL seasons and has missed just two games over the last six seasons.
If Lindstrom can protect Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa well in 2026, he should draw finalist consideration for a second consecutive season.
Grey Zabel
- Position: Left guard
- Team: Seattle Seahawks
Zabel was a revelation during his rookie season, providing a stabilizing force on what had previously been a problematic Seattle offensive line. The 2025 first-round pick graded No. 1 overall among interior linemen in ESPN's run block win rate and allowed just two sacks last season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking NFL's top Protector of the Year candidates for 2026 season
Continue reading...
